When Inherit the Gold swept
across the finish line a 6 ¼-length winner of the Grade 3 Excelsior at Aqueduct
on Saturday, the victory meant more than just the first graded stakes score for
the 5-year-old New York-bred gelding.

“Without him,” said Jim Hooper
of the homebred gray, who is owned in part with Glas-Tipp Stable. “I don’t know
what would have happened.”

A little more than two years
ago, things were going pretty well for the Hoopers on their upstate New York horse farm,
Haven Oak, which they had purchased in 2000 to fulfill Hooper’s longtime
ambition of raising and racing thoroughbreds. Along with the horses, the couple
also worked on the farm with at-risk youth in conjunction with an Arizona-based
company, the funds from which helped support their growing horse business.

“We probably spent more on
horses than we should have,” said Hooper, 54, a Navy veteran who later worked
as a consultant with various companies. “But I think that’s fairly common among
horse people. When you get a little extra money, get another horse, right?”

Among the dozens of
thoroughbreds foaled on the farm in 2006 was a dark gray son of Gold Token,
whose eyes were ringed with white, leading Susanne to dub him “Harry” after the
bespectacled hero of the Harry Potter series. Sent to trainer Charlton
Baker, the now officially named Inherit the Gold (“Inherit sounded pretty close
to Harry,” explained Susanne) was patiently handled and did not make his debut
until age 3. He broke his maiden at the Big A in his second start, and finished
out the year with a 1-3-0 mark from six starts.

But during that time, in
addition to a shaky economy cutting into the Hooper’s’ horse business, the Arizona company fell on
hard times, and the kids and the funds stopped coming to the farm. After
plowing more than a half-million dollars into Oak Haven over the years, the
Hoopers were loath to let it go at a bargain-basement price. They cut back on
the number of horses they raised and raced, and sold off 20 acres of the farm.
Finally, last summer, no longer able to afford to pay Baker, Hooper took out
his own trainer’s license and came to Belmont Park
in the fall by himself with Inherit the Gold, who was recuperating from a knee
injury, and a handful of other horses.

“All I did,” said Hooper, who
considers Inherit the Gold to be more a family member than a racehorse, “was to
stay out of Harry’s way. It’s a good thing he’s smarter than me. He trains
himself.”

On October 21, Inherit the Gold
made his first start for Hooper, coming off a nearly six-month layoff to post a
one-length victory in a state-bred allowance at Belmont Park.
After finishing third, beaten less than a length, in an optional claimer at the
Big A a month later, Inherit the Gold made the first of his five consecutive
trips to the winner’s circle, in another optional claimer against state-breds.
On January 13, in open company, he came from sixth to score by three lengths,
and next posted a mild upset in the Mr. International overnight stakes on
January 26.

Toting high weight of 124 pounds,
Inherit the Gold upset 9-10 favorite Yawanna Twist in the Kings Point on March
12, and lived up to his role as the favorite in the 1 1/8-mile Excelsior,
stalking the early pace before taking over at the top of the lane for his
dominating win.

“I just think he’s growing into
himself,” said Hooper. “I think it’s a matter of maturity. Charlie [Baker] did
a wonderful job with him early on, taking his time and not rushing him. He put
on weight between the Kings Point and the Excelsior, and it seems like he’s just
getting better. It’s hard to tell where he’s going to stop.”

In the meantime, Inherit the
Gold – who now has his own Facebook page – has not only saved the Hoopers’
farm, he’s breathed new life into their business.

“Now, it’s just the opposite,”
said Hooper, standing outside Inherit the Gold’s stall and patting the
personable gray gelding. “We’ve got people talking about investing in our farm,
and building us a training track on the farm, and trying to go back and do a
non-profit like we did with the kids, we rehabilitation with kids with drug and
alcohol problems.

“Now, we might be able to go
back and give back some of that,” he added. “We’re talking about trying to get
inner-city kids from New York to come up to the farm and do apprenticeships,
vocational training and recreational experience; combine all of them for kids
that don’t get the opportunity to be around horses or a farm. We’ve
really gone full circle with that. He’s the only one who’s been writing the
checks.”

While a possible berth in the Breeders’
Cup has been bandied about, Hooper is letting Inherit the Gold pick his own
path.

“I just try to keep him happy
and healthy, and stay out of his way,” he said. “In the fall, we’d like to
think about New York Showcase Day. And one of these days I’d like to try him on
the grass, but I can’t switch him when he’s winning everything in sight on the
dirt. But he’s something special, all right. We are so fortunate to have him.”